Surah 79. An-Nazi'at

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Verses [Section]: 1-26[1], 27-46 [2]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-2679. An-Nazi'atبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِوَ النّٰزِعٰتِBy those who extractغَرْقًاۙviolently وَّ النّٰشِطٰتِAnd those who draw outنَشْطًاۙgently وَّ السّٰبِحٰتِAnd those who glideسَبْحًاۙswimming فَالسّٰبِقٰتِAnd those who race each otherسَبْقًاۙ(in) a race فَالْمُدَبِّرٰتِAnd those who arrangeاَمْرًاۘ(the) matter یَوْمَ(The) Dayتَرْجُفُwill quakeالرَّاجِفَةُۙthe quaking one تَتْبَعُهَاFollows itالرَّادِفَةُؕthe subsequent قُلُوْبٌHeartsیَّوْمَىِٕذٍthat Dayوَّاجِفَةٌۙwill palpitate اَبْصَارُهَاTheir eyesخَاشِعَةٌۘhumbled یَقُوْلُوْنَThey sayءَاِنَّاWill weلَمَرْدُوْدُوْنَindeed be returnedفِیtoالْحَافِرَةِؕthe former state ءَاِذَاWhat! Whenكُنَّاwe areعِظَامًاbonesنَّخِرَةًؕdecayed قَالُوْاThey sayتِلْكَThisاِذًاthenكَرَّةٌ(would be) a returnخَاسِرَةٌۘlosing فَاِنَّمَاThen onlyهِیَitزَجْرَةٌ(will be) a shoutوَّاحِدَةٌۙsingle فَاِذَاAnd behold!هُمْTheyبِالسَّاهِرَةِؕ(will be) awakened هَلْHasاَتٰىكَ(there) come to youحَدِیْثُ(the) storyمُوْسٰیۘ(of) Musa 79. An-Nazi'at Page 584اِذْWhenنَادٰىهُcalled himرَبُّهٗhis Lordبِالْوَادِin the valleyالْمُقَدَّسِthe sacredطُوًیۚ(of) Tuwa اِذْهَبْGoاِلٰیtoفِرْعَوْنَFiraunاِنَّهٗIndeed heطَغٰیؗۖ(has) transgressed فَقُلْAnd sayهَلْWouldلَّكَ[for] youاِلٰۤی[until]اَنْ[that]تَزَكّٰیۙpurify yourself وَ اَهْدِیَكَAnd I will guide youاِلٰیtoرَبِّكَyour Lordفَتَخْشٰیۚso you would fear فَاَرٰىهُThen he showed himالْاٰیَةَthe signالْكُبْرٰیؗۖthe great فَكَذَّبَBut he deniedوَعَصٰیؗۖand disobeyed ثُمَّThenاَدْبَرَhe turned his backیَسْعٰیؗۖstriving فَحَشَرَAnd he gatheredفَنَادٰیؗۖand called out فَقَالَThen he saidاَنَاI amرَبُّكُمُyour Lordالْاَعْلٰیؗۖthe Most High فَاَخَذَهُSo seized himاللّٰهُAllahنَكَالَ(with) an exemplary punishmentالْاٰخِرَةِ(for) the lastوَ الْاُوْلٰیؕand the first اِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَعِبْرَةًsurely (is) a lessonلِّمَنْfor whoeverیَّخْشٰیؕ۠fears

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Translation of Verse 1-26In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

(79:1) By those (angels) that pluck out the soul from depths,

(79:2) and gently take it away;

(79:3) and by those that speedily glide along (the cosmos),

(79:4) and vie with the others(in carrying out their Lord's behests);

(79:5) and then manage the affairs of the Universe(according to their Lord's commands).¹

(79:6) The Day when the quaking will cause a violent convulsion,

(79:7) and will be followed by another quaking.²

(79:8) On that Day some hearts shall tremble (with fright),³

(79:9) and their eyes shall be downcast with dread.

(79:10) They say: “Shall we indeed be restored to life,

(79:11) even after we have been reduced to bones, hollow and rotten?”

(79:12) They say: “That will then be a return with a great loss!”⁴

(79:13) Surely they will need no more than a single stern blast,

(79:14) and lo, they will all be in the open plain.⁵

(79:15) Has⁶ Moses' story reached you?

(79:16) When his Lord called him in the sacred valley of Tuwa,⁷

(79:17) and directed him: “Go to Pharaoh, he has rebelled,

(79:18) and say to him: 'Are you willing to be purified,

(79:19) that I may direct you to your Lord and then you hold Him⁸ in awe?' ”

(79:20) Then Moses (went to Pharaoh and) showed him the Great Sign;⁹

(79:21) but he denied it as false and disobeyed,

(79:22) and then he turned back to have recourse to his craftiness,¹⁰

(79:23) and gathered his people and declared:¹¹

(79:24) “I am the supreme lord of you all.”

(79:25) Thereupon Allah seized him for the chastisement of the World to Come as well as of the present.

(79:26) Surely there is a great lesson in it for whoever would fear (Allah).¹²

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Commentary

1. The beings with these five distinctive features are invoked. It is clear from later verses that the oath is taken in order to assert that the Last Day is imminent and that the dead will be raised. There is no definite clue about the identity of these beings. However, most of the Companions and Successors and the majority of Qur’anic scholars hold the view that the allusion is to angels. In the opinion of ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ud, ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbas, Masruq, Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, Abu Salih, Abu al-Duha, and Suddi, those who pluck out the soul from its depths and gently take it away at man’s death and those who speedily glide along the cosmos are angels. The same view is shared by ‘Ali, Ibn Mas‘ud, Mujahid, Sa‘id ibn Jubayr and Abu Salih, whereby the angels are so swift in enforcing Allah’s commands it is as if they are gliding. ‘Ali, Mujahid, Masruq, Abu Salih and Hasan Basri likewise take “those vying with others” in the sense of angels. What is meant by their vying is that they rush to implement the Lord’s each and every command. Similarly, it is the angels who manage the affairs. This view is endorsed by ‘Alt, Mujahid, ‘Ata, Abu Salih, Hasan Basti, Qatadah, Rabi’ ibn Anas and Suddi. In other words, angels are the work force in charge of the universe’s affairs but in accordance with their Lord’s commands. Although no Hadith bears out these interpretations, that these were the views of leading Companions and their disciples, suggests that they were based on the Prophet's own observation. They would have deduced this meaning from no other source than the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself.

Now we are faced with the question as to why the oath refers to angels in a discussion about the Last Day and Life-after-Death. Angels after all are invisible and beyond man’s perception. So why and how should they serve as witnesses in this context? Our answer is as follows: The Arabs did not deny altogether the existence of angels. They recognized that angels seize man’s soul upon his death. Likewise, they believed that angels are exceptionally swift beings who can move from the heavens to the earth in no time at all. Similarly, they took angels as God’s obedient servants who did, speedily, all that God asked them to do. They manage the affairs of the universe in accordance with God’s commands, never | using their own discretion. Yet, out of ignorance these unbelieving Makkans regarded the angels as God's daughters and this to the point of worshipping them as well. However, they did not take them as the supreme authority. Accordingly, these distinctive features of the angels are recounted in this verse so as to stress these points: the angels who seize their souls may restore the same; they who presently oversee the workings of the universe according to God’s commands may destroy it at His bidding. They will not and cannot disobey God even in the slightest.

2. The first quaking will destroy the earth and all that is on it. In the wake of the second quake, however, all the dead will rise. The same truth is stated elsewhere in the Qur’an thus:

And the trumpet shall be blown and all who are in the heavens and the earth shall fall down dead save those whom’ Allah wills. Then the trumpet shall be blown again, and lo! All of them will be standing and looking on. (al-Zumar 39: 68)

3. That “some hearts shall tremble (with fright) on that Day” ' portrays the condition of the unbelievers, wicked ones and hypocrites on the Last Day. True believers and the pious will not face any fear. Rather, “The Hour of the Great Terror shall not grieve them, and the angels shall receive them saying: ‘This is your Day which you had been promised,” (al-Anbiya’ 21: 103).

4. They mockingly talk about their resurrection, saying that it will be a return with great loss.

5. They sneeringly dismiss the Resurrection, viewing it as impossible. However, it is quite easy for Allah to accomplish Resurrection. He does not even need to make any elaborate preparations for it. His single gesture will bring all the dead back - to life, no matter where they lie buried. Suddenly, the dead will find themselves alive again on planet earth. Whether they consider their return as a great loss or try to avoid it, they are bound to be resurrected. Neither their rejection nor their mockery can avert this eventuality.

6. The unbelieving Makkans’ mockery and rejection of the Last Day and the Hereafter signified their crying lies to the Prophet Muhamad (peace be upon him). Their nefarious moves aimed at defeating the Prophet’s mission. So, before adducing further arguments for the Hereafter, these unbelievers are apprised of the story of the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and Pharaoh, this to make them realize the terrible consequences of opposing the ‘Messenger of God and his mission.

7. Qur’anic commentators generally take this to be the sacred Valley of Tuwa. However, some offer other interpretations as _ well. For some, it was sanctified twice: (i) For the first time when Allah spoke to the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) there, and (ii) For the second time when the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) took the Children of Israel there after their liberation from Egypt. Some scholars interpret the word Tuwa in its literal sense of having spent part of the night there.

8. The following points should be grasped well: (i) The Qur’an recounts at several places the dialogue between Allah and the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), as the latter was appointed to the office of Messenger. In some instances, this account appears in its detailed and in others in brief forms. In this passage only its salient points are recounted. Its details, nonetheless, are found in Ta Ha 20: 9-48; al-Shu‘ara’ 26: 10-17; al-Naml 27: 7-12 and al-Qasas 28: 29-35. (ii) Pharaoh’s rebellion consisted in his refusal to serve Allah and his revolt against his Creator. His revolt was betrayed by a proclamation he made in an assembly of his subjects: “He gathered his people and declared. ‘I am the supreme lord of you all,” (Verses 23-24 of al-Nazi’at). As to his oppression of his people, he divided them into several classes and sections and exploited the poor and the weak. He enslaved them, as is stated in al-Qasas 28: 4 and al-Zukhruf 43: 54. (iii) The Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) was given the directive: “Speak to him gently, perhaps he may take heed or fear (Allah),” (Ta Ha 20: 44). This passage sets the model guidelines for preachers on how to convey the truth to sinners. — Other such directives feature in Ta Ha 20: 49-52, al-Shu‘ara’ 26; 23-28 and al-Qasas 28: 37. These passages instruct how the truth should be preached. (iv) The Prophet Moses’s only mission was not the liberation of the Children of Israel from Pharaoh’s shackles, as is held by some scholars. Rather, his primary goal was to guide Pharaoh and his people to the truth. His other goal, nonetheless, was that if Pharaoh refused to follow the straightway, the believing Children of Israel should be freed from his servitude and taken out of Egypt. The passage under discussion makes no reference to the Children of Israel’s freedom. Rather, the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) is asked only to invite Pharaoh to the truth. In other Qur’anic passages, mention is made of both his missions — of preaching faith and of demanding the Children of Israel’s release. (See for example al- A‘raf7: 104-105; Ta Ha 20: 47-52; al-Shu‘ara’ 26: 16-17 and 23-28. For further details also see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, Vol. IV, Yunus 10: n. 74, pp. 54-55.) (v) To attain purification in this context signifies embracing sound beliefs and performing good deeds. In sum, it stands for acceptance of Islam. According to Ibn Zayd, the word tazakka in Qur’anic parlance means one’s conversion to Islam. He cites in support of his contention the following Qur’anic verses: Ta Ha 20: 76, ‘Abasa 80: 3 and 7. (vi) The Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) was asked by Allah to direct Pharaoh to the Lord so that he may hold Him in awe. Once Pharaoh recognized Allah as his Lord and he himself as His servant, he would naturally fear Him. Such God-consciousness molds one’s outlook on life and enables one to follow the straight way. Without gnosis or fear of Allah, one cannot achieve purity.

9. “The Great Sign” consisted in his staff becoming a serpent, a point made at several places in the Qur’an. It was, indeed, a clinching piece of evidence whereby an ordinary, lifeless staff turned suddenly into a serpent with people watching this spectacle in sheer and utter amazement. Moreover, it swallowed up all that was fabricated by Pharaoh’s magicians. Yet, when the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) picked it up, it was once again restored to its original function as a staff. This great miracle conclusively established that it was Allah the Lord of the universe Who had sent down the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him).

10. It is stated elsewhere in the Qur’an that Pharaoh had summoned magicians from all parts of Egypt and asked them to publicly show how their staff and ropes turned into serpents. This would convince the people that Moses was not a Messenger, but a mere magician, as other magicians could accomplish the same. However, the tables were turned on Pharaoh, as his own magicians _ conceded defeat, proclaiming that what Moses presented was a genuine miracle, not some magical illusion.

11. Pharaoh’s claim recurs in the Qur’an. For example he is on record as issuing this threat to the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him): “If you [Moses] take any god other than me, I will certainly make you one of those (who are rotting) in prison,” (al-Shu‘ara’ 26: 29). While addressing his courtiers he told them: “O nobles, I do not know that you have any god beside myself.” (al-Qasas 28: 38). Notwithstanding making such tall claims, Pharaoh knew well that he was not the creator of the universe. Nor was hea denier of God’s existence or a claimant to divinity. He, nonetheless, looked _ upon himself as a god. The Qur’an, itself, testifies that he used to worship other gods. His courtiers are found curtly telling him: “The elders of Pharaoh's nation said: “Will you leave alone Moses and his people to spread mischief in the land, and forsake you and your gods?” (al-A’raf 7: 127). Likewise, the Qur’an reproduces Pharaoh's remark: “Why were bracelets of gold not bestowed upon him [Moses]? Why did a retinue of angels not accompany him as attendants?” (al-Zukhruf 43: 53). In sum, he considered himself as a supreme authority in the political domain. In speaking of himself as a god and supreme lord, he asserted his unquestionable sovereignty. He was not willing to share political authority with anyone in his kingdom. This explains why he refused to accept divine guidance. For this would have implied his servitude to a superior power. (For further discussions on this issue see Towards Understanding ‘the Qur'an, Vol. III, al-A ‘raf 7: n. 85, p. 64; Vol. V, Ta Ha 20: n. 21, pp. 192-193; Vol. VII, al-Shu‘ara’ 26: nn. 24 and 26, pp. 62 and 63, al-Qasas 28: nn. 52-53, pp. 220-222, and al-Zukhruf 43: n. 49.)

12. One should draw a lesson from the miserable consequences | Pharaoh faced by virtue of his rejecting Allah’s Messenger.